A severe RAM shortage, driven by high demand from AI development, has caused prices for 32GB DDR5 memory kits to skyrocket in the US. These kits now have a new baseline price of $359.99, with affordable options vanishing from shelves almost instantly upon listing.
The situation is exacerbated by scalpers using AI-powered bots to buy up remaining stock and resell it at massively inflated prices, sometimes over $1,000 for kits normally under $120. With supply dwindling and no stabilization in sight, memory upgrades are becoming prohibitively expensive for average consumers.
The main topics covered are the RAM shortage and price surge, the role of AI in driving demand and scalping, and the specific market conditions for DDR5 kits.
US RAM crisis hits boiling point as AI mania wipes out all 32GB DDR5 kits under $359 — cheaper kits vanish from shelves within seconds of listing
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While the best RAM is still available for purchase, prices have surged exponentially as the AI-created memory supply intensifies. With no clear end in sight for the shortage, prices continue to skyrocket at an unprecedented rate. The situation has escalated so rapidly that 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 memory kits are now selling for $359.99 at U.S. retailers.
It’s astonishing and at the same time sad that $359.99 has become the new baseline for 32GB DDR5 memory kits. The relentless memory shortage sent shockwaves through the memory market, as affordable memory kits disappeared almost instantly, leaving consumers competing for whatever remained. The only silver lining is that, at this premium price point, the available options at least offer decent specifications.
At $359.99, you're limited to Silicon Power’s XPower Storm DDR5-6000 C36, Crucial’s Pro DDR5-6400 C38, or Corsair’s Vengeance DDR5-6000 C36 memory kits, all of which deliver decent performance. Just a couple of months ago, the first two memory kits were retailing for $325.97 and $292.99, respectively — today's prices are a bitter pill to swallow, for sure. In an interesting twist, Corsair's memory kit has actually become more affordable, down from $429.99.
The Vengeance DDR5-6000 C38 memory kit is a solid option for AMD and Intel systems. It's currently the most affordable 32GB DDR5 memory in a market with fast-changing prices.
To put things in perspective, the Silicon Power, Crucial, and Corsair memory kits were available for $269.99, $272.99, and $280.99, respectively, in Nov. 2025. It's a stark reminder of how drastically the memory kit has shifted. With increases of up to 33% in just a few months, the landscape is grim for PC owners and builders.
Scalpers are ruthlessly capitalizing on the memory shortage. In a twist of irony, they're leveraging the very force blamed for the crisis, AI, to intensify the scarcity even further: Scalpers have turned to AI to deploy DRAM bots to snatch up DDR5 deals online and relist the memory kits at jaw-dropping prices for desperate buyers. That’s why you now see astronomical listings on Amazon, such as the G.Skill Aegis 5 DDR5-6000 C36 for $1,236.75, or the Patriot Viper Xtreme 5 RGB DDR5-7800 C38 for $1,133.25. These two memory kits are normally priced at less than $120 — but we don't have a time machine.
The memory supply is dwindling, and the spiraling prices show no signs of stabilizing, which is expected when you're in the midst of a shortage. On top of that, AI-fueled bots are outpacing human shoppers. If this trend continues — and it likely will — memory upgrades will soon be out of reach for the average consumer.
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Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.
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